Browsing by Issue Date, starting with "2019-08"
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- Sobrevivência de bactérias lácticas presentes em iogurtes e outros alimentos fermentados após o processo de digestão humanaPublication . Santos, Márcia Alexandra Batista; Alves, Artur; Assunção, RicardoA consciencialização da população para o impacto da alimentação na saúde é cada vez mais evidente. Dos alimentos funcionais com características probióticas, o iogurte assume particular destaque no que se relaciona com a aquisição de microrganismos com potencial probiótico. Os probióticos são microrganismos vivos que quando consumidos em quantidade suficiente providenciam benefícios para a saúde do consumidor. O presente estudo pretendeu avaliar a presença e a capacidade de sobrevivência de bactérias do acido-láctico, que são potenciais probióticos, em iogurtes e outros alimentos fermentados (kefir e alternativas vegetais ao iogurte). Para isso, procedeu-se à quantificação das bactérias do ácido-láctico presentes naqueles alimentos, e posteriormente, à avaliação da sobrevivência destas bactérias após a ingestão pelos consumidores através da simulação do processo de digestão humana in vitro (conforme o método harmonizado desenvolvido no âmbito da Cost Action INFOGEST). Os resultados obtidos demonstraram que as bactérias do ácido-láctico se encontram em níveis acima dos teores mínimos recomendados (≥106 ufc/g) e ainda que é expectável que a digestão humana afete os níveis destas bactérias que chegam ao intestino. Verificou-se ainda que os diferentes constituintes da formulação do alimento interferem na sobrevivência destas bactérias aquando da sua passagem pelo trato gastrointestinal. Considerando que a relação entre o consumo de alimentos que sejam veículo de bactérias probióticas e os efeitos na saúde tem ganho cada vez mais interesse, o presente estudo contribui para uma melhor caracterização de alguns dos alimentos fermentados disponíveis em Portugal, bem como com elementos importantes para o desenvolvimento futuro de novos produtos que garantam que o potencial probiótico seja maximizado, nomeadamente através do desenvolvimento de soluções que aumentem a capacidade de resistência ao processo de digestão humana.
- District vulnerability to extreme heat temperatures in Mainland PortugalPublication . Silva, Susana Pereira; Roquette, Rita; Nunes, BaltazarDirect effects of ambient temperature on human health are known and, in the case of high temperatures, can range from moderate skin irritations to the so-called heat stroke. Excess temperature can also have adverse effects on health by aggravating preexisting diseases such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, diabetes, among others. In Portugal, similarly to other countries, the effects of excess heat on health are known, specifically on mortality, in situations of sudden, intense and prolonged temperature increase, meaning during the so-called heat waves. The objective of this work was to study the risk of death of mainland Portugal districts to extreme temperatures using summer data (from june 1st to September 30th) between 2008 and 2018. For that a geoadditive Regression model with BayesX was applied to daily mortality rate (/100000 inhabitants) considering as explanatory variables daily maximum temperature, a spatial function, and the weekend day.
- Relatório mensal ICARO (Importância do CAlor: Repercussões sobre os Óbitos) - Julho 2019Publication . Silva, SusanaNo mês de julho de 2019 foi classificado, relativamente à temperatura, como normal pelo IPMA e não teve nenhum período de calor extremo identificado pelo Sistema ICARO uma vez que o Índice-ICARO (II) nunca apresentou um valor estatísticamente significativo. Ocorreram no entanto dois períodos de 3 dias ou mais dias com II superior a zero entre os dias 10 e 13 e 20 e 25 de julho. A região Alentejo e o sexo masculino foram os únicos estratos a apresentar estimativas de excesso de mortalidade, num único dia. Desagregando informação por grupo etário não se identificaram excessos de mortalidade no decorrer do mês de julho de 2019.
- Sociodemographic disparities in hypertension prevalence: results from the first Portuguese National Health Examination SurveyPublication . Rodrigues, Ana Paula; Gaio, Vânia; Kislaya, Irina; Graff-Iversen, Sidsel; Cordeiro, Eugénio; Silva, Ana Clara; Namorado, Sónia; Barreto, Marta; Gil, Ana Paula; Antunes, Liliana; Santos, Ana; Miguel, José Pereira; Nunes, Baltazar; Matias Dias, Carlos; INSEF Research groupIntroduction: Cardiovascular disease is an important cause of death and disability worldwide, and hypertension is responsible for at least 45% of all deaths due to heart disease and 51% of deaths due to stroke. This study aimed to estimate and describe the distribution of prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of hypertension in the Portuguese population in 2015. Methods: A national survey using a representative sample of 4911 individuals residing in Portugal and aged between 25 and 74 years was implemented. Trained nurses performed a health interview and a physical examination, including blood pressure measurement (right arm, three measurements at 1-min intervals). The prevalence of hypertension was stratified by gender, age group, marital status, education, occupation and type of residential area. Associations between hypertension prevalence and sociodemographic factors were assessed using bivariate and multivariate Poisson regression. Results: The overall hypertension prevalence was 36.0%. The highest rates were observed in males (39.6%), in individuals aged between 65 and 74 years (71.3%), and in those with low levels of education (62.6%) and with no formal occupation (64.5%). Among hypertensive individuals, 69.8% were aware of their condition and 69.4% were under treatment, of whom 71.3% were controlled. Rates of awareness and medical treatment were significantly higher among women and older individuals. Conclusions: A large majority of the adult Portuguese population are likely to reach blood pressure levels defined as hypertension in adulthood. Significant differences in hypertension prevalence were found according to gender, age and socioeconomic status, which highlights the importance of population strategies in public health policies.
- ECMM CandiReg - A ready to use platform for outbreaks and epidemiological studiesPublication . Koehler, Philipp; Arendrup, Maiken Cavling; Arikan‐Akdagli, Sevtap; Bassetti, Matteo; Bretagne, Stéphane; Klingspor, Lena; Lagrou, Katrien; Meis, Jacques F.; Rautemaa‐Richardson, Riina; Schelenz, Silke; Hamprecht, Axel; Koehler, Felix C.; Kurzai, Oliver; Salmanton‐García, Jon; Vehreschild, Jörg‐Janne; Alanio, Alexandre; Alastruey‐Izquierdo, Ana; Arsic Arsenijevic, Valentina; Gangneux, Jean‐Pierre; Gow, Neil A. R.; Hadina, Suzana; Hamal, Petr; Johnson, Elizabeth; Klimko, Nikolay; Lass‐Flörl, Cornelia; Mares, Mihai; Özenci, Volkan; Papp, Tamas; Roilides, Emmanuel; Sabino, Raquel; Segal, Esther; Talento, Alida Fe; Tortorano, Anna Maria; Verweij, Paul E.; Hoenigl, Martin; Cornely, Oliver A.; European Confederation of Medical Mycology (ECMM)Background: Recent outbreaks of Candida auris further exemplify that invasive Candida infections are a substantial threat to patients and healthcare systems. Even short treatment delays are associated with higher mortality rates. Epidemiological shifts towards more resistant Candida spp. require careful surveillance. Objectives: Triggered by the emergence of C auris and by increasing antifungal resistance rates the European Confederation of Medical Mycology developed an international Candida Registry (FungiScope™ CandiReg) to allow contemporary multinational surveillance. Methods: CandiReg serves as platform for international cooperation to enhance research regarding invasive Candida infections. CandiReg uses the General Data Protection Regulation compliant data platform ClinicalSurveys.net that holds the electronic case report forms (eCRF). Data entry is supported via an interactive macro created by the software that can be accessed via any Internet browser. Results: CandiReg provides an eCRF for invasive Candida infections that can be used for a variety of studies from cohort studies on attributable mortality to evaluations of guideline adherence, offering to the investigators of the 28 ECMM member countries the opportunity to document their cases of invasive Candida infection. CandiReg allows the monitoring of epidemiology of invasive Candida infections, including monitoring of multinational outbreaks. Here, we describe the structure and management of the CandiReg platform. Conclusion: CandiReg supports the collection of clinical information and isolates to improve the knowledge on epidemiology and eventually to improve management of invasive Candida infections. CandiReg promotes international collaboration, improving the availability and quality of evidence on invasive Candida infection and contributes to improved patient management.
- Measuring total suffering and will to live in an advanced cancer patient using a patient-centered outcome measure: a follow-up case studyPublication . Julião, Miguel; Antunes, Bárbara; Nunes, Baltazar; Sobral, Maria Ana; Chaves, Petra; Runa, Daniela; Bruera, EduardoIntroduction: The concept of total suffering is well known to palliative care, and it indicates that there are several complex and correlated factors, which contribute to a dynamic and unique experience of one's illness trajectory. Research on terminally ill patients' will to live (WtL) has revealed important insights on its fluctuations over time and its correlated factors. We report an N-of-1 case study with the aim of examining the concept of total suffering objectively, and the WtL trajectory over time, its fluctuations, as well as its possible correlation with other distressing symptoms in a terminally ill cancer patient. Case Description: A 72-year-old cancer patient who verbalized total suffering and a low WtL. We used the Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS), added an additional WtL question, and asked the patient to rate her suffering using the ESAS twice daily (morning and afternoon) for a period of 28 days. Spearman's correlation coefficients between all physical and psychosocial ESAS items were statistical significant in 34 of the 45 performed correlations (30 highly significantly correlations and 4 in a lesser degree). WtL trajectory was fluctuant through the course of the illness, and significant correlations between WtL and all ESAS items were found, except for shortness of breath and drowsiness (after Bonferroni correction). High positive correlations were found between WtL and ESAS total score and ESAS physical and psychological subscores. Discussion: Developing evidence-based understanding of total suffering and WtL in the terminally ill will lead to better approaches to patients and their loved ones.
- Compliance of declared vs. analysed values with EU tolerance limits for mandatory nutrients in prepacked foodsPublication . Albuquerque, Tânia Gonçalves; Nunes, M. Antónia; Oliveira, M. Beatriz P.P.; Costa, Helena S.This study assessed compliance between declared and analysed values on prepacked foods, considering the tolerance limits for salt, fat and saturated fatty acids. Foods were distributed by food categories (e.g. snacks, ready-to-eat meals, potato and potato-products, bakery and pastry products) and a total of 209 products were analysed. Only half of the samples with a declared value ≥1.25 g/100 g were within tolerance limits for salt content. The lowest number of samples outside tolerance limits was observed for fat content; for saturated fatty acids, 27% of the samples were outside of tolerance limits. Only amongst "cereal products" were 100% of products compliant for fat and salt declarations. It is of utmost importance that manufacturers update continuously values declared for prepacked foods, because this information is crucial for consumers and food policy-makers as well as being a legal requirement.
- Alternative mechanisms of mRNA translationiInitiation in cellular stress response and cancerPublication . Lacerda, Rafaela; Menezes, Juliane; Candeias, Marco M.Throughout evolution, eukaryotic cells have devised different mechanisms to cope with stressful environments. When eukaryotic cells are exposed to stress stimuli, they activate adaptive pathways that allow them to restore cellular homeostasis. Most types of stress stimuli have been reported to induce a decrease in overall protein synthesis accompanied by induction of alternative mechanisms of mRNA translation initiation. Here, we present well-studied and recent examples of such stress responses and the alternative translation initiation mechanisms they induce, and discuss the consequences of such regulation for cell homeostasis and oncogenic transformation.
- The mRNA Metabolism in Human DiseasePublication . Romão, LuísaIntroduction: The eukaryotic gene expression pathway involves a number of interlinked steps, with messenger RNA (mRNA) being the key intermediate. The precursor mRNA is transcribed from DNA, processed by removal of introns and addition of the cap structure and the poly(A) tail. The mature mRNA is then exported to the cytoplasm where it is translated into protein and finally degraded. In this process, mRNA is associated with RNA-binding proteins forming ribonucleoprotein complexes, whose protein content evolves throughout the lifetime of the mRNA. While the complexity of eukaryotic gene expression allows the production of proteins to be controlled at many levels, it also makes the process vulnerable to errors. Although eukaryotic cells have evolved elaborate mRNA quality control mechanisms that ensure the fidelity of gene expression, some defects are not detected, thus affecting mRNA metabolism. This condition plays a fundamental role in the pathogenesis of several disease processes, such as neurodegeneration and oncogenesis. Besides, exciting recent data have shown that cellular RNAs can be modified post-transcriptionally via dynamic and reversible chemical modifications, the so-called epitranscriptome. These modifications can alter mRNA structure, being able to modulate different steps of the mRNA metabolism that can be associated with various human diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus and cancer. This book provides a collection of novel studies and hypotheses aimed to define the pathophysiological consequences of altered mRNA metabolism events in human cells, and is written for a wide spectrum of readers in the field of gene expression regulation. The last chapter highlights how the discovery of disease-causing defects (or modifications) in mRNA can provide a variety of therapeutic targets that can be used for the development of new RNA-based therapeutics. Hopefully, it may also contribute to inspire the drug-developing scientific community.
- The Implication of mRNA degradation disorders on human dISease: focus on DIS3 and DIS3-Like enzymesPublication . Saramago, Margarida; da Costa, Paulo J.; Viegas, Sandra C.; Arraiano, Cecília M.RNA degradation is considered a critical posttranscriptional regulatory checkpoint, maintaining the correct functioning of organisms. When a specific RNA transcript is no longer required in the cell, it is signaled for degradation through a number of highly regulated steps. Ribonucleases (or simply RNases) are key enzymes involved in the control of RNA stability. These enzymes can perform the RNA degradation alone or cooperate with other proteins in RNA degradation complexes. Important findings over the last years have shed light into eukaryotic RNA degradation by members of the RNase II/RNB family of enzymes. DIS3 enzyme belongs to this family and represents one of the catalytic subunits of the multiprotein complex exosome. This RNase has a diverse range of functions, mainly within nuclear RNA metabolism. Humans encode two other DIS3-like enzymes: DIS3L (DIS3L1) and DIS3L2. DIS3L1 also acts in association with the exosome but is strictly cytoplasmic. In contrast, DIS3L2 acts independently of the exosome and shows a distinctive preference for uridylated RNAs. These enzymes have been shown to be involved in important cellular processes, such as mitotic control, and associated with human disorders like cancer. This review shows how the impairment of function of each of these enzymes is implicated in human disease.
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